Knee-operated throttle-valve-controlling means



8y A. s. MARTIN KNEE OPERATED THROTTLE VALVE CONTROLLING MEANS Filed Jan. 18 1927 Patented May 3, 1927. i

v UNITED STATES PATENT F F ICE ANTONIO s; MARTIN, or semina-o'riunr, new roan.

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Application filed January 18, 1827. Serial 110. 161,850.

,This invention relates to automobiles and more particularly to the means by which the throttle valves of the engines of such vehicles are operated in controlling the speed of the engine.

The invention has forone of its objects to provide novel and simple means through.

the medium of which the throttle valve of the engine of an automobile may be controlled by the knee, whereby to permit one foot of the operator to remain on the clutch pedal and the other on the brake pedal.

view, the nature of which will become apparent as the decriptionproceeds, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arran ement of parts hereinafter fully describe and claimed, and illus ,trated in the accompanying drawing,

wherein: I v

' Figure l is a. view illustrating the apphcation of the knee operated throttle valve controlling ineans,

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the vertical planes indicated by the lines 22 'of Figure 1, and i Figure 3 is a sectional viewtaken' on the horizontal planes indicated by the line 3-3 Of 1'0 I.

Be erring to the drawing by reference nu-' morals, 1 'desi ates the engine hood, 2 the cowl, 3 the dash, 4 the instrument board, 5 the toe board and 6 theiront floor board of an automobile. Y 7 desi ates the carburetor and 8 the throttle valve of the engine of the automobile, and 9 designates the clutcheldal and 10 the brake pedal of the automoling means comprises a vertical shaft '11 which is journaled in bearings 12 secured to the rear side of the dash 3and which is supported in said bearings by a collar 13. An arm 14 is secured to the shaft 11 by a set screw 15. T e arm 14 extends rearwardlg from and-may be adjusted vertically wit respect to the shaft 11. ,A downwardly and rearwardly inclined arm 16, which is provided near its'lower end with an arcuate portion 17 for the reception of the right knee of the driver of the automobile, is connected as at 18 to the rear end of the arm ,14. The knee receiving rtion 17 extends from the right side of t e arm 16, and is so positioned with respect to the brake pedal 10 that the driver may comfortably maintain I persons of different sizes. With the foregoing and other ob ects m The knee operated throttle valve control 'mation,and the-sections 14 and 14 thereof are connected together by bolts 19 which are fixed to the section 14 and pass through a slot-20 in the section 14. The sections 14 and 14" are thus connected together to permit the effective length of the arm 14 to be varied, and this adjustahility of this arm permits the arm 16 to be moved'forwardly and rearwardly tov adapt the device for use by I The connection '18 between the arms 14 and'16, is a pivotal one to permit the arm 16.to be swung forwardly beyond the instrument board 4 when the deviceis not to be used. The arm 14 is provided with a stop 21 with which the arm 16 contacts when in position for use. The stop 2L-holds the arm 16 againstany movement to the right-with repect to the arm 14 when the arm. 16 is in position for use. An

arm 22 is secured by. a set screw .23 to the.

lower end of the shaft 11, and is connected hymeans of a link 24 to an arm 25 lixe'd to the spindle of the'throttle valve 8.

The connectionbetween the throttle valve 8 and the arm 16 is such that when the latter is rocked to the right the throttle valve is moved in the direction of its fully opened position. A spring 26 secured to the dash 3 and shaft '11 rocks the shaft in theopposite direction when the pressure on the arm 16 is off of the brake pedal 10. My device takes the place of the accelerator pedal, and due thereto enables the operator to keep his right foot on the brake pedal 10, with the result that the automobile may be brought to a- --removed, with the result that the throttle i 95. '1 of which necessitates the keeping of said foot (YIlCk'StOp and the possibility of accelerating v t 1e speed-of the'automobile when it is wished .to bring it to a sto is obviated.

It should be an erstood thatthe drawing ismerely illustrative and does not pretend to give exact proportions." Furthermore, thesaid drawingis illustrative'of a preferred construction, it being my expectation that various changes-and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

- cal shaft positioned forwardly ofit-he in-' :connectin downwar ly and rearwardly lllCllIl-td arnr What is claimed is:---

1C Knee, operated means forythe throttle valveof an automobile,',eomprising a verti: cal shaft, an arm secured to the shaft, means the arm to the throttle valve, a

secured to the shaft, and aspring secured to the automobile and shaft.

2. Knee operated means for. the, throttle valve of anautomobile, comprising a vertistrument board of the-automobile, an arm secured to the shaft, means connecting the arm to the throttle valve, a second arm secured to. and extending rearwardly from the shaft, and a third arm extending rearwardly and downwardly from the second arm and providedv with an arcuate knee re ceiving portion, and a spring secured to the automobile and shaft.

3. Kneeopera'ted means for the throttle valve of an automobile, comprising a vertical shaft, an arm secured to the shaft, means connecting the arm to the throttle valve, a second arm adapted to be engaged by the knee of the driver, and means securing the second arm to thesha-ft for vertical adjust ment with respect thereto 4. Knee operated; means for the throttle I valve of an automobile, comprising a vertical shaft, an arm secured to-the shaft, means connecting the-arm to the throttle valve, a second arm adapted to be engaged by the knee of the driver, and means securingthe second arm to the shaft'for vertical and horizontal adjustment with respectlthereto.

\ Knee operated means for the throttle valve of. an automobile, comprising a shaft,

means connecting theshaft to the" throttle valve, an arm ad'ustable as'to length and secured to the shaft, and a second arm adapted to be en aged b the knee of the driver and secured to sai first arm.-

6; Knee operated means for the throttle valve of an automobile, comprising a shaft,v

means connecting the shaft to the throttle valve, an arm secured to the shaft and adjustable as to length, a second arm adapted pivoted to said rst arm, and means adapted to limit the movement of said second arm tofbe. engaged b' the knee of the driver and in one direction with respect to. said first .7. Knee operated lineans for the throttle valve of an automobile, comprising a shaft, means connecting the shaft to the throttle valve, an arm adapted to be engaged by the knee of the driver, and means for securingthe arm tothe shaft for adjustment with a respect thereto in twodirections.

8. Knee operated means for thethrottle;

valve of an automobile, comprising a shaft,

means connecting the shaft to the throttle valve, 'an arm adapted to be engaged by the ture.

ANTONIO S. MARTIN. 

